“He chops wood for his fireplace.”
“I’ll bet.” Liam carefully slides the book back into my purse, taking his time. I like this game. He smells like maple syrup and my favorite of his colognes. He has two he switches between. Years ago, in a rare, non-job-related request, he asked me which ones I liked, bringing the bottles down and setting them in front of me. He was dating someone at the time, and I felt like I was doing him a service by giving him honest feedback. I was flattered when he got rid of the one I said I didn’t like as much. Little did I know, I was helping my future self. Thanks, me.
“Do you bring a book with you on all your dates?” Liam asks. “That one looks even better than the cowboy romance novel you were reading on your date with Trey.”
“You were watching us for a long time!”
“Not that long.” He shrugs. “For about a minute. I don’t knowif I can compete with a vampire book. Does he turn into a vampire? Is she hunting him?”
“So many good questions. I’m inviting you to book club.”
“Who’s in it?”
“So far, you and me. It’s very exclusive.”
His eyes sparkle. “I’d love to be there.”
“But no book club today. You have my full attention.”
“Good to know.” The mischief in his expression drops just slightly, and he looks down at the table. “My mom reads romances. Sometime, when it doesn’t feel like an interrogation, you two should talk books.”
He found a connection for us, however unrealistic it is that she and I could someday be friends. It makes me want to cry again. Instead, I finish off my orange juice and picture Liam as a bookshop owner, surprised by a woman who looks an awful lot like me breaking into his place in the middle of the night. Little does he know she’s there to save his life.
I read the first chapter while I waited for him to arrive, hoping to keep my nerves at bay. All I managed to do was imagine us in it, even though I’m the furthest thing from a vampire hunter. Liam doesn’t need to worry about me getting lost in a book and forgetting about him. He’s the first and last chapter, and all the ones in between. And we’re about to write the rest of our story.
When he notices me watching him, he says, “Oh, I meant to ask. Who’s Mr. Emoji?”
“It’s the contact name I gave Trey when he first started messaging me. I never changed it.”
“He’s still texting you. Figures.” He sounds amused, not jealous. Trey is no competition. Not even a little bit.
“I think he just likes to always have someone to talk to. But I should probably tell him there’s a new man in my life. Or, I guess, anoldman.”
Liam’s jaw drops. “I’m only a year older than you.”
“Yeah, but he’s twenty-five,” I whisper.
“Is that a deal-breaker for you?”
“It is when I’m in love with my boss.”
He smiles, and I reach out and run my thumb over the littlecleft in his chin, making him raise one eyebrow. His gaze drops to my lips. If we weren’t in a busy restaurant, I would make this booth a lot cozier than it already is, and I can tell he feels the same way. It gives me the courage to admit what’s really bothering me about going with him to the anniversary party. He’s right. I need to stop gauging my worth against what other people are doing or what they might think of me.
Unfortunately, that’s not the only issue I have with showing up as his plus-one. I’m not afraid of his parents, but I am afraid of making his relationship with them worse. After all, a woman has driven a wedge between them before.
“If we go together tomorrow night, people will ask how we know each other.”
A small wrinkle appears in his forehead. “You think they’ll get smirky when we tell them you’re my kids’ nanny?”
“Yes. Not only that, your mom will get asked by her friends. Who’s that girl with Liam? And then she’ll downplay our relationship, as she should, because we’ve only been together for, like, five seconds. But I’ve met some of your relatives, so they’ll know who I am.”
I’m getting carried away, but Liam doesn’t call me out on it. He takes my hand, rubbing his thumb over it while he ponders. Finally, he says, “I’m not afraid of other people’s assumptions. And I’m not worried about my mother’s embarrassment. She’s a pro at handling gossip thrown her way. But I do care about your happiness an awful lot. If you don’t want to come, it’s okay.”
“I care about your happiness, too,” I whisper. He doesn’t ask for much, but he asked for this. Now I’m torn.
Our waitress comes by with the check, and after going to the front and paying, Liam holds the door open for me. We walk out into the bright sunshine. “What did you plan to do with your day off?” I ask.
“I cleared my schedule, and yours I guess, but that’s as far as I got. I just knew we needed to talk without Callie asking clarifying questions.”